Intrigue on Addicks
by AidanPryde
Summary: The warriors of the Armored Cavalry Elite once again step into the line of fire in the name of the almighty C-bill. Rated PG-13 for Violence.
1. The Contract

Disclaimer: I do not own Battletech/Mechwarrior or any other things that might have been drawn upon for this story. Thanks again, to my team-mate, Fenris Wulf, for allowing me to repost this story here (it's his work, and I'll forward any reviews to him)

Author's Note: I know, I know...another reposted story...I'm still working on my own original piece and should have the first chapter up next week.

"THE CONTRACT"

BY: Fenris Wulf

Sergeant Major Damon Kane peered out the view-port of his quarters and watched the stars slip slowly by as the Dropship made its way across the system. He stared into the gray-black firmament of the system, broken only by the reds and blues of a nearby nebula. The Armored Cavalry Elite Dropship, the Redemption, had just recently lifted off from planet-side and was making best speed to the next jump point, where the A.C.E. Jumpship, the Freedom, was waiting with fully charged Kearny-Fuschida drives.

Damon loved this ship. He enjoyed space travel even more. He always  
thought to himself that once he had enough money, and the lure of the  
battlefield abated, he would buy himself a Dropship and "Go Commercial," as many in his profession referred to Mercs gone straight. The effects of weightlessness on his mind and body, the hospital-clean reprocessed air and the atmosphere of total control that came with hurtling through space at faster than light speed...all of this focused Damon to razor sharpness. He sipped at the anti-grav lid of his coffee cup, and had a moment of quiet reflection.

"Incoming Priority Message... Incoming Priority Message... Incoming  
Priority Message…" The computer said softly, in its robotic feminine voice

"Here we go." Damon said to himself as he sat at his desk, setting his  
coffee aside. He typed in the necessary encryption keys to de-code the  
message.

The message decrypted, Damon studied the Vid-Screen. The message was from Armored Cavalry Elite Command, and had both video and file attachments. The heading denoted that this was contract data. He opened the video attachment and saw as Colonel Jacobson, of MERC-NET, appeared on the Vid-Display.

"Good Morning, Sergeant Major Kane. Effective immediately, you are being reassigned to another contract. The Armored Cavalry Elite have accepted a contract on the planet of Addicks."

Interesting. The Redemption had been scheduled to arrive on the planet of Tybalt for an extended "Garrison Duty" contract, which Damon,  
coincidentally, hated. "Be advised first and foremost that this mission is OOC."

Out of Cockpit? This was odd. The Armored Cavalry Elite were primarily Mechwarriors. Unlike many of the other Mechwarriors in the Armored Cavalry Elite, Damon had served in an Infantry Unit before becoming a Mechwarrior. Because of this, Damon had always required training for his Mechwarriors in survival and combat OOC, should the need arise. An OOC mission was uncommon in the ranks of the Armored Cavalry Elite.

"Also this is a Black-Op. Subject: Hostage Extraction. The Details of the  
mission are attached. Good Luck."

Damon closed the VID display and began downloading the mission brief. His mind swam as he read over the details, and an apprehensive feeling over came him.

The contract was "Intra-Merc," the employer was Wolf's Dragoons, and that meant that time was definitely a factor. Merc Units were fairly secretive when it came to information about contracts or unit personnel. Being a Merc was not just about combat, this was also business. Mercs Hiring Mercs was not unheard of, but it did mean that the Employer was knee deep in "it," and did not wish to extend themselves any further into the situation, if the operation turned sour.

According to the contract, an Addicks Planetary Defense administrator by the name of "Major Fernando Velasquez," had come by a Wolf's Dragoons NOC list, from sources unknown, that gave the names and locations of the Dragoons undercover operatives on Addicks. The Dragoons had been taking part in a dangerous "Ghost Agent" contracts for both sides. Dragoon spies had infiltrated both factions, and provided classified information to the Dragoon Command. They would in-turn sell the information to the other side. It was a highly dangerous contract for all involved; lucrative, but dangerous. A brief history lesson followed as part of the background information.

The world of Addicks has been plagued by planetary conflict, and each  
faction paid the Dragoon's handsomely for the information their spies could obtain. This knowledge could result in not only in the death of a dozen, or so Dragoon operatives, but could result in the loss of the contracts from each side. While working out the lengthy negotiations with the Dragoons, Velasquez had been kidnapped by a terrorist organization called: The People for a Free Addicks, or T.P.F.A. Unknown to them, Velasquez carries a sub-dermal microprocessor that the NOC List was downloaded to. So the situation was fairly F.U.B.A.R., and Damon & Crew, would be paid heavily to fix it.

Once the mission brief finished downloading, Damon transferred it to his  
digital notebook, and pressed the COM switch for communications with the bridge, after a few seconds the call button was answered by the bridge communications officer.

"Bridge."

"This is Sergeant Major Kane. Inform the Captain that I need to meet with him in the Briefing Room in 15 minutes, advise him of new course, our destination is now the planet Addicks."

"Understood Sergeant Major."

Damon then adjusted the COM to the P.A. setting and thumbed the switch.

"Attention on deck, Attention on deck! This is Sergeant Major Damon Kane; all ACE Mechwarrior personnel proceed to the Mission Briefing Room, all ACE Mechwarrior personnel to the Mission Briefing Room."

Damon released the button, and sat back in his chair... he picked up his  
coffee, which was now stone cold. He swallowed it in one gulp. It tasted and had the consistency of black tar, but he knew he would need it. This contract was extremely dangerous, and the likelihood of losses was high. Damon stood, stretched and placed the contract information in his briefcase. Already the cold coffee sat in his stomach like a rock.

"Well, I always did hate Garrison Duty." He smiled and headed for the  
briefing room.


	2. Red Lips and White Fangs

"RED LIPS AND WHITE FANGS" BY: Fenris Wulf

Jack Tolliver picked up his spanner and attempted again to adjust the receiver shielding on the HPG relay station's reception dish. His EVA suit felt heavier than usual and he certainly wanted to finish the job, and be gone. Jack hated this Station, he always felt cold here. 

"Heads up Jack!" A voice came over his comm. set. "Looks like there's a Dropship closing in on this position." It was Troy, the Shuttle Pilot who had ferried him out here. He must have been asleep at the stick, to give such a late warning.

Jack looked over his shoulder in time to see a Leopard Class Drop Ship emerge from behind a planet shadow, less that a kilometer away. The Dropship looked like an oversized Aerodyne, a stark contrast to the Egg & Sphere Shaped Dropships that were so common. He could see that the Dropship did not bear any symbols of allegiance, and only had "REDEMPTION" lettered in Gold under the bridge's forward view ports. He also noted that as the Dropship lumbered past the relay station, that 2 "Cheyenne" class Aerodyne Fighters were flying escort. One of the fighters veered starboard and began to close on his position.

He thought that the pilot was going to attack but the aerodyne slowed and when it was within a few meters of the station it banked to port, and began a lazy circle around the station. Jack could see into the cockpit now, and the pilot turn his head, and flipped up his visor. Jack looked on in disbelief, as the pilot looked directly at him, it was a woman. She smiled and waved to Jack. Jack just smiled in a stunned sort of way, and waved back absently. She gave a thumb up sign and then pressed her index finger to her ruby lips, signaling him to "be quiet." She maneuvered her Cheyenne closer, circled the station 2 or 3 times. She began adjusting some controls and equipment in the cockpit. Once she seemed satisfied, she looked up at Jack, smiled, and then blew him a kiss. She engaged her Cheyenne's afterburners and banked starboard. She burned the engines long, and rejoined The Redemption on its mission. Jack could only float in stunned silence.

"Jack! What was that all about, I thought that fighter was going to attack!" Troy's voice sounded excited, and a little agitated.

"I don't know, but that was one good looking female!" Jack said as he stared at the fading light of the afterburners on the departing fighter.

"Female?" Troy sounded incredulous. "Well, good looking female or not, that fighter hacked my systems! She stole all my flight information; my transceiver number, my re-entry security codes, AND she's scrambled half of my systems...I had better call this into planetary Control."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Troy." Jack said has he turned back to the relay station, and started back to work.

"Why the hell not! That bunch is obviously up to no good, man!" Troy stammered.

"Exactly! And how bad do you think they would feel about locking on of those Naval Gauss Cannons onto an old wrench monkey, and some lazy, backwater shuttle pilot?"

Troy's voice came over the COMSET again, this time more tinged with more fear than indignation... "You don't think that that good looking Fighter Pilot would kill us? Do you?"

"Oh yeah, I know she would." Jack laughed as he moved the spanner into its final position.

"How can you be so sure?" Troy said again, voice cracking a bit. 

"She smiled at me...and behind that pretty little smile...I saw nothing but fangs." Jack said, grunting, as he finally wrenched the spanner into the position he wanted. The red signal readout shot up fourteen bars out of red and into the green range. The HPG relay station was operational again.

"Yeah, I think we should wait until we are on the ground again before reporting this..." Troy said a bit less apprehensively. "That my friend, it the smartest thing you will do all day."

"By the way, what did she look like?" Troy almost sounded more intrigued then afraid now.

Jack sighed, and closed his eyes, bringing her into his mind, and described her to Troy..."Blonde hair, green eyes, pouty red lips...and the silliest call-sign I have ever seen, so she must be one hell of a pilot!" Jack said has he pulled himself hand over hand along his safety line toward the open shuttle bay.

"What was it?" Troy asked.

Jack smiled and pulled himself into the airlock, and shut the door; his voice crackled as the Airlock pressurized...

"Marzipan."


	3. Insertion

"INSERTION" 

BY Fenris Wulf

Sergeant Major Damon Kane, a.k.a. Fenris Wulf, tapped his communications headset and began his radio check.

"Test 1, Test2. Copy?" He said over the heavy thumping of the Lamprey   
Transport VTOL's rotor blades.

Master Chief Peter Octavious, a.k.a. Bravo Attack, briefly pressed his receiver to his ear, and then gave thumbs up sign to show good communication. The veteran warrior and Damon, had seen a lot of action together, and he had no doubts about Bravo's abilities both in and out of the cockpit. Unofficially, despite rank, He was Fenris' second in command.

Sergeant Major Fenris checked and double-checked his equipment. He mentally went over his checklist and checked the items off. Everything passed his inspection. For this mission, speed, over strength, was essential. "On Ground" contacts had everything ready, and were standing by for the next phase of the mission.

He could see in the dim red light of the cargo bay that Bravo was doing the same equipment check. He looked to his left and took note that the other members of his Unit were also checking their equipment. He looked at each one, and made a mental note for each...

Tanistal: A younger pilot and soldier who had yet to see many battles, but had greatly impressed Fenris the few times he had seen him fight. He would have to remember to put in a transfer to get him into his command.

Aidan Pryde: Young and fierce as the clan blood flowing in his veins. Aidan could be counted upon in a tight situation to do what needed to be done to accomplish the mission.

Bear: The most outspoken pilot he had ever met. He was brash, rude and rarely thought about what he said, but Fenris knew he could trust him. His mouth never wrote a check is body couldn't cash.

He didn't know much about most of these men outside of what was contained within the unit dossiers. You really didn't want to know anyone in this business too well. Many times those around you met a sudden and violent end. In the life of a Mercenary, you didn't have time to mourn anyone. There's no profit in it. They only addressed one another by their "Call Signs" or "Rank," it was easier that way.

This would be the Unit's first assignment out of the cockpit, and although   
the newer recruits were untested, he knew that their training would hold   
them together.

Or they would die.

He turned to Bravo and extended his thumb giving the universal hand   
signals for "Go / No Go!" Bravo then passes the signal on until to the last  
man finished his equipment check.

Three thumbs greeted him back with a "Go" sign. He checked his chronometer, and found that less than 1 minute to Drop-zone Alpha. He signaled 1 minute, and the light in the cargo hold turned from Red to Green.

"STAND UP!" Fenris Shouted over the thumping rotor.

As one, the Lance stood up as one. "HOOK UP!" Each member clipped their repelling D-ring to the static line on the left hand side of the cargo bay, as the light inside of the cargo bay went dark, and a small sliver of light shone into the cargo bay, as the rear hatch opened.

As the rear door swung into the deployment position, Fenris could see the tops of the alien trees sweep only a few feet below their Lamprey Transport VTOL. Then he felt as the transport began a short climb and his comm. Unit crackled to life in his ear. The Pilot of the transport called out over the intercom.

"SERGEANT MAJOR, ETA TO DROP ZONE, 35 TICS, HOTLINE NOW!"

Without hesitation, Fenris stepped off of the jump point, and slid quietly   
down his repel line about 50 feet. In turn each member of the star did the   
same, until the all hung below the Lamprey Transport traveling at just under 100 KPH.

In the distance, Fenris could just make out the landing zone. A clearing   
about 75 feet wide was Drop Zone Alpha. The Lamprey dipped toward the   
clearing and Fenris and crew hit the ground hard, each unclipping their   
rappeling line and rolling into a crouch. Three seconds passed and Damon checked those around him, all gave the "clear" signal. 

"CLEAR!" He shouted into his headset.

The Lamprey banked left and disappeared from view behind the jungle's canopy.

Fenris listened as the thumping rotor blades faded into the distance. He   
scanned the jungle for anything that would signal him that their  
position was betrayed. Satisfied that their insertion had gone unnoticed,  
he motioned for the Lance to follow him and rose from his crouched position. He sprinted into wood line, and the Mercs of The Armored Cavalry Elite disappeared into the underbrush. As they moved quietly though the flora, Fenris spoke into the receiver of his comm. headset.

"ACE Command, this is Scorpion 3, Drop Zone Alpha Cleared, " He glanced at his chronometer, "0430 Hours, Operation Underway. Scorpion 3 out."


	4. Extraction

"EXTRACTION" 

BY: Fenris Wulf

The guard never saw him coming. Tanistal's hand clamped over the sentry's mouth without the slightest warning. The long-bladed fighting knife entered his back, between his third and fourth rib, and pierced the victim's lung. Robbed of his ability to yell for help, the guard could only struggle futilely and then go limp. Tanistal's reward for the silent dispatching of the guard was a soft hissing of the guard's last breath through the knife wound, and slight spray of blood that covered his hand and the knife's hilt. Tanistal laid the dead guard in the high foliage at his feet, and then the young soldier disappeared into the underbrush.

"Damn," thought Fenris, "That kid's good. I think I will request his transfer...definitely."

He looked a Bravo, and Bravo also smiled at a job exceptionally done. 

The Team had crossed the five miles to the terrorist camp without incident. Eagle-eyed Aidan Pryde had picked up the look-out on the scope of his gauss sniper rifle, and Tanistal had volunteered for "Sentry-Removal." He had done an excellent job, and now the path was clear to the camp's perimeter, less than 200 meters ahead. 

Quietly Fenris addressed the group on their secure channel communicators. 

"Alright Team. Bravo and I are the Extraction Team. Tanistal, Aidan, and  
Bear you are the Distraction Team. You have authorization to use any   
means necessary to neutralize the enemy. These guys all go down, understood? Bear, you wait till you receive the all clear signal or Bravo and I go "Flat Line," either way, you blow those satchel charges, and you haul ass to nav-point Omega. Understood? Check your Chronometers."

Each member of the unit has a special chronometer that read the pulse of the wearer and transmitted it to a small digital display on the other   
chronometers worn by the unit. The display was simple.

Green signaled a pulse or living comrade.  
Yellow meant that the chronometer was no longer attached to the wearer.  
Red meant the wearer had flat-lined. Death.

Bravo and Fenris did a final weapons check and handed their assault rifles to Aidan and Tanistal. The each drew bolt pistols and attached silencers to them. Tanistal, Aidan, and Bear, all nodded and silently wished Bravo and Fenris luck, and disappeared into the brush. Fenris and Bravo moved silently forward to the enemy camp.

When the Extraction Team neared the perimeter of the camp, they found a good spot to lay low until the sun dipped below the horizon. Dusk, the second best time to initiate an attack; Tanistal and the Distraction Team would wait until the signal from Fenris before beginning their assault, and the signal wouldn't be given until Fenris and Bravo were in position. Fenris and Bravo crept silently forward reaching an acceptable position Fenris had spied early. 

From the vantage point on a small hill above the camp, Fenris & Co. surveyed the situation. Ten or so small, crudely constructed cabins made up the makeshift Terrorist Base. A liquid fuel truck, two light armored APCs and a Donar VTOL on a plank heli-pad were the total assets they could count. Fenris watched the Terrorists move from building to building. They seemed to mill about without much purpose. They were obviously green, and untrained. He wondered if there would be any resistance at all.

He spotted one building near the perimeter of the camp that no one seemed to enter or exit from. The only person he saw near it was a woman carrying a metal plate of food, and a rifle slung over her shoulder. Gotcha! He quietly tapped Bravo on the shoulder.

"That one there." He said pointing at the shack. "That's our target." Bravo and Fenris moved into the camp's perimeter. 

Bravo nodded and moved behind Fenris. When the door opened and the woman was admitted inside. Fenris moved quietly but quickly down toward the Shack. Dropping to one knee, Fenris drew his fighting knife, and used the blade to mirror around the corner. He could see no enemy personnel. He set a satchel charge under the edge of the building and armed it. Bravo armed his as well, and threw it under another building more than 30 meters away. Fenris watched the 20 pound satchel sail on target. He just smiled and shook his head at the display of strength. He wonder why Bravo had chosen to be a Merc instead of a Lazer Ball Star on Solaris...but he shook off his thoughts and he focused his attention back to the task at hand.

The target building lacked windows, and no one was in sight when Fenris heard the door open again. The sounds of loud talking poured into the night. It sounded like questioning, and the moaning of someone in pain. When he heard the door to the shack open, he quickly rounded the corner and grabbed the woman who had just exited the shack as the door closed behind her.

He clamped his hand over her mouth, and she gave off a bit of a muted scream, so Fenris reached over her back and punched her hard in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of her she stopped trying to scream, and struggled to breathe. Fenris kept his hand over her mouth.

"Don't scream! We are here for the Hostage. If you stay quiet, and   
cooperate, you get to live. Otherwise you will die. Understand?" To punctuate his sentence he brought up his knife and held it in front of her face, and then put its point to her chin. She jumped a bit with the cold steel point touched her neck.

She seethed against Fenris' gloved hand, her breath coming deeper now. She reeked of anger and indignation, but she was no idealistic idiot. She nodded that she understood.

"How many men are inside? Show me on your fingers." Fenris asked again, whispering in her ear. It was filthy and unwashed, and she smelt of gunpowder and chemicals.

She held up four fingers. Fenris wasn't sure if he could trust her or not, at  
least four men. This wouldn't be easy in such cramped quarters with that many men, and he could not risk drawing them out. Fenris held out his free hand to Bravo, who placed a "Stunner" in his hand. He again hissed in her ear.

"Is the hostage inside?"

She nodded, Yes.

"Congratulations, you get to live." He released her while simultaneously   
triggering the stunner under the base of her skull. Instantly she was  
rendered unconscious, and fell to the ground in a heap. Fenris had a hard time killing an unarmed or helpless opponent, regardless of gender, but then again, morals didn't line your pockets.

Fenris motioned to Bravo, and whispered into his headset.

"4 or 5 men at least." Fenris looked at Bravo.

Bravo shook his head, he knew, as well as Fenris, that one of them would have to go in alone. Two shooters was one too many in that tight of a confine.

"Bravo. You will go in first. In tight quarters only one of us can go in at a time. It has to be fast and it has to be quiet. Do your worst, and protect the hostage." Bravo would go in first, it was the right decision. Pete dwarfed Fenris in size, and was better in close quarters combat than Fenris. He hated to put somone in his command in harms way when he could do it himself, but this was the right call for this situation.

"You got it Skipper. I'm your man." Bravo said, his tenor and tone made  
Fenris feel better. Confidence was one thing that Bravo was never short of. Bravo peeked again around the corner, and went to the door, gun drawn. He then knocked on the door, and raised his Pistol to eye level. The second the door opened, Fenris saw Bravo pull the trigger on his pistol shooting, point blank, the guard who answered the door. The muffled chirp of the silenced pistol sounded incredibly loud to Fenris.

Bravo didn't hesitate and shouldered his way into the shack. Fenris heard the gun fire two more times in rapid succession, and then heard the sound of a struggle. Fenris rushed around the corner and bounded up the steps and through the door into the shack to see Bravo struggling with another man, nearly a foot taller than the hulking Bravo. Bravo slipped from the man's bear-hug, turned and with a vice-like grip on his opponent's jaw, he rammed the back of the terrorist's head into the wall of the shack, splintering the wood. Fenris had barely heard the knife leave its sheath, before he saw Bravo slip it beneath the man's jaw, and into his brain. He was dead before he hit the floor. He took note that Bravo did not retrieve his fighting knife... as Fenris remembered, he never did.

Fenris quickly closed the door, and looked around. A thin, man of Latin   
heritage sat wide-eyed tied to a chair. He was wearing the torn remnants of a set of pajamas, and had his mouth taped shut. He looked like he had been beaten and tortured. He didn't know how much he had told, but Fenris doubted that the Terrorists had been interested or even aware of the NOC lists existence.

"Major Fernando Velasquez?" Fenris asked authoritatively.

The man nodded, and mumbled against the tape over his mouth.

"Stay quiet, we are here to get you out." He cut the man's bonds, and let  
him stand. "I'm going top remove the tape from your mouth, but you have to stay quiet. Understand?"

The man nodded yes.

"Do as we say and we get to leave this camp alive. Jeopardize me, or my men, and you will be left behind? Understand that?"

The man nodded again, yes.

Fenris removed the tape from the man's mouth.

He followed Fenris' instructions, and spoke quietly in a thick Latin accent, "Thank goodness you are here! They were going to kill me."

"I doubt that," Fenris said motioning at the food, as he passed by the table on his way to the door, he cracked the door and looked for any signs of disturbance. "They were feeding you. You don't feed someone you are going to kill. Most likely you were going to be ransomed off to the highest bidder." Fenris said without the slightest hint of sympathy.

"Well, thank you for rescuing me." Major Velasquez said, regaining a bit of his confidence. "The republic will surely be thankful for my return."

"Most Assuredly" Bravo mumbled, rolling his eyes away from Velasquez. 

Fenris pressed his headset to his ear. "Distraction team, take out the fuel truck now."

Seconds later an explosion rocked the camp as the fuel truck was struck by rocket propelled ordinance. Instantly the camp was awash in burning fuel and chaos.

"Let's Roll." Bravo said as he opened the door and the three ran out of the shack and into the jungle's darkness, serenaded by the sound of staccato gunfire and explosions. Fenris stopped and grabbed the back of the woman's shirt. "I said you would live," as he dragged her into the jungle behind him, and dropped her after about 50 feet behind some fallen logs. He then keys his headset. 

"Bear... Satchel charges are set, light up the night."

Again within a few seconds the two satchel charges blew the two buildings to pieces, and send wood and bodies hurtling skyward.

"Fall back to Nav-point omega, full speed."

Fenris turned to Velasquez, who stood in shock as the camp was burned and blasted from the jungle floor. "If you are done watching the fireworks, it is time to go, Major."

"Yes...I'm done," he muttered and began to follow Bravo into the jungle   
night. 

Fenris smirked to himself and whispered under his breath. "Yes, you are done. You just don't know it yet."


	5. End Game

"END GAME"

BY: Fenris Wulf

A converted Fox Armored Car pulled up to the checkpoint outside of MacCarran Space Port. The guard sleepily walked to the side window and motioned for the driver to open the window. The driver opened the window hatch, and the guard requested the driver's credentials. The driver handed the guard his forged credentials and a thousand C-Bill voucher. The guard looked at the voucher, and then handed the credentials back to the driver and raised the checkpoint gate. The armored car pulled into the spaceport without incident, and disappeared into the distance, its tail lights barely visible in the deepening night. The guard placed the voucher in his pocket, walked back to his office, sat back in his chair and promptly went back to sleep.

Fenris and crew waited until the Armored Car pulled into the hanger they had "obtained." Once they had powered down the lift-fans, he opened the rear hatch and motioned for everyone to get out. Bravo stretched again to his full height, happy to be free of the tight confines of the hover-vehicle. Fenris too stretched, and motioned for Tanistal, Aidan and Bear to remove the unconscious "guest" from the transport.

Velasquez had become inquisitive during the two-hour trip from the extraction point. He began questioning the men, and didn't seem to be getting the answers he was expecting. Fenris knew he was no idiot, and with Velasquez's experience as an intelligence officer, he knew it was time to lose the façade and be straight with the Major. 

Fenris explained about how they were really Mercenaries and that their   
contract was to rescue him from the TPFA: Terrorists. When Velasquez had questioned why his government hired mercenaries instead of sending their own Elite Infantry, Fenris armed his stunner, and answered his question succinctly...

"Who said your government hired us?" Then Major Fernando Velasquez was rendered unconscious, by more than 20,000 volts of electricity. 

Now, they pulled his limp carcass from the transport. Tanistal and Bravo   
went to secure the door, while Aidan and Bear dragged Velasquez behind Fenris, as he made his way to the office in the rear of the hangar. 

... 

Major Fernando Velasquez awoke to a dull pressure on his right arm. He   
groggily raised his head and looked at the source of his discomfort. To his horror, four inches of his skin had been peeled back, and the bloody wound on his right arm was held open by a surgical spreader. He sat, bound to a chair by leather restraints. He gasped, and looked around at the room. The room was dark save a hanging light directly above where he sat. Across from him sitting by a large steel desk was a man he knew. It occurred to his that he didn't know this man's name. On the desk sat surgical instruments, medical supplies and a large gauze pad with a small, bloody microchip like object resting on it. Velasquez knew it was his sub-dermal processor. On it was stored the NOC list he had paid heavily to obtain.

"Wh-Wh-Where am I?" he asked, he heard his voice and thought it sounded funny. He instantly figured out he was drugged, but couldn't bring himself to care.

"You are at McCarran Space Port, Major Velasquez. You have been given Sodium Amatol, and a chemical known as "Anuba Caniva" a native narcotic from the world of Huntress. Mixed, these two chemicals form a highly potent truth serum. You have been given double the normal dose to ensure your cooperation. You can make this easy on yourself by simply telling me what I want to hear. Do you want to answer my questions honestly?

Groggily the Major lolled his tongue about in his head trying to form the   
words, he slurred his speech badly and answered truthfully...

"N...No." 

Fenris smiled evilly, knowing that the drugs would bring the truth from   
Velasquez. 

"So, major, where did you get the NOC list?"

Velasquez' conscious mind screamed! DON'T TELL HIM! But his subconscious was laid open, and in a talkative mood.

"I bought it...from a man, a mercenary..." he said, slurring his speech  
heavily, "I don't know ...what his name was, though." Fenris sat back  
and contemplated the situation as it stood now. The Dragoons had another problem. This would mean that every Dragoon agent would have to be extracted. The unknown variable in the equation was this Mercenary, and the NOC list he possessed. Velasquez had bought the information, not the List.

"What Unit was he a part of, did he say?" Fenris asked, interested in this  
additional information because the Dragoons would pay well to have it. 

"Umm...I don't know...I think it was... was some kind of name...like Taurus...Something. I never met him, he used...dead drops." 

Fenris frowned, he really would have liked more information about the seller, but he did not have time to bring Velasquez down from the serum. The current contract was to secure the Hostage, and to obtain the NOC list and identify any copies he had made. The seller was not mentioned in the contract so it was doubtful that the Dragoons new of his existence.

"How many copies of the NOC list have you made?" Fenris asked moving closer to judge his reaction on the crucial question.

"Two." The Major answered looking lazily around the room. Fenris figured that he was truthful, but thought that he needed to back off of the dosage in the future, Velasquez was acting like he was about to go unconscious.

"Where are they? Where are the copies?" Fenris asked, feeling his voice take on an edge of urgency, and rightfully so, as the Major's head lolled to the side. Fenris straightened his head, and backhanded the Major violently. Blood erupted from Velasquez' mouth, and his eyes snapped open, and rolled around in his head. The serum would do little to dull pain.

"Where are the copies of the NOC list?" Fenris asked again, his volume   
increasing. 

"One is on... the terminal in my home." He answered, moving in and out of conscious thought.

"The Other?" Fenris was growing agitated. He needed to make sure that all the copies were accounted for.

"In my office... at the Planetary Defense Administration Building... in New  
Century City."

The Contract was completed. Fenris left the office and the major sitting is his own stupor. He crossed the hanger to where Bravo, Tanistal, Aidan and Bear were securing the weapons and equipment for transport. Fenris walked to the table and picked up his pistol, loaded it and tucked it in his waistband. He turned to the assembled group and motioned to all the  
equipment. 

"Get everything to The Redemption; we are leaving within the hour. Tanistal, secure the Lamprey. Bravo, take Aidan and Bear and secure the rest of the equipment. We leave as soon as possible."

Fenris picked up the communicator array from the table and took everything to the office and closed the door. He then closed the blinds and disappeared from view.

Aidan turned to Bravo with a questioning look in his eyes, "What is he   
going to do?"

Bravo just smiled, shook his head and said, "The Dirty Work. Let's get this equipment in the transport, and get back to the Redemption." 

"What about the Sergeant Major? We aren't waiting for him?" Aidan asked.

"No. He'll walk back to the Dropship...and trust me; we had better be ready to lift off." Bravo answered grimly. 

... 

Fenris sat the notebook computer on the table, knocking the surgical   
instruments behind the desk. He plugged the Communications Array into the computer and typed in the designated encryption keys. After three minutes of waiting for a response, Fenris heard the digital sound of a secure communication connection. The Dragoon logo appeared on the wait screen, and then a young woman appeared on the vid-display. 

"Good evening Sergeant Major Kane, I take it you have completed your mission?" It was Lieutenant Rianna Allarus. She was Fenris' point of contact according to the contract brief. Had he not had other things on his mind, he would have thought her beautiful, but he had other things on his mind.

"Subject has been extracted from the TPFA: Terrorist camp. Micro-processor, obtained. NOC list extracted...transmitting now." Fenris said, as he plugged the bloody microprocessor into the data port on his notepad computer. The NOC list transmission was complete. Lieutenant Allard reviewed the information...

"It is authentic. Any other copies?" She asked. She was visually   
disappointed that the list was authentic and that the danger was real and  
not perceived.

"The Major made two copies. One on his Home Terminal, and his office   
Terminal in New Century City."

"Understood, those copies have already been located and destroyed by our operatives already on Addicks. Good work Sergeant Major!" 

"There is more, Lieutenant, it appears that the Subject did not come by the list electronically. It was sold to him by an individual." Fenris watched as the pretty young Lieutenant visibly squirmed in her seat.

"Are you sure? Has this individual been identified?" She asked. 

"No," Fenris stated. "The Major never got a name, and they never met in  
person. So it appears as if the NOC list operatives are compromised and you should extract your personnel as soon as possible. If necessary the Armored Cavalry Elite can arrange for transport from Addicks on the Redemption, if necessary."

For a nominal fee... Fenris thought.

"No we are capable of extracting our personnel. You services are appreciated Sergeant Major. The additional information you obtained about the Ghost Operative who sold the NOC list will entitle you to a bonus, as per our contract for additional information obtained that will help us sort this matter out. I am also invoking Employment clause Omega: Subject Termination. Good work Sergeant Major Kane, Allard Out."

And the Vid-Display went dark, as did Fenris' mood. This part, he hated. But the bonus was a good one, and his men had earned it. He stood and pulled the Pistol from his holster... 

... 

Tanistal picked up the Key Card for the Lamprey and shouldered his  
equipment. He walked out the hanger's side door as Bravo and Bear  
finished loading the equipment into the Fox Armored Car.

The young soldier walked to the rear of the Hanger to the small  
heli-pad and glanced over his shoulder, watching, as the rest of the unit   
took off toward the Dropship Redemption in the distance. He had just closed his hand around the cockpit door latch when he was startled by a gunshot inside the hanger. Then after about three seconds, two more shots followed.

"And that my friends," he said to himself, as he settled into the Pilot's seat and smiled... "is the sound of money."


End file.
